Brought Around Town
by SomeWeirdWriter
Summary: The news about SpongeBob going missing spreads around town, but consequences and intentions are brought into light.
1. Chapter 1

A.N. I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants.

Everyone in Bikini Bottom knew about it. Papers were going around town with the headlines all in capital letters. It was like a wildfire of words being spread around. The stories varied in truth, but it had a common theme to it: A certain sponge was missing.

SpongeBob was nowhere to be found, not even at his house. Gary was found underneath SpongeBob's bed, life ceasing to exist from its dead eyes. The snail looked pale, but that was a usual color for every snail. The people of Bikini Bottom buried Gary underneath the sand in the front yard.

Squidward and Patrick had no idea where their neighbor was, as they were minding their own business. "Of course Squidward wouldn't care," recalled Mr. Krabs. "He could see an endless pit open up in the ground and not give a care in the world."

In short, SpongeBob was nowhere to be found and Gary was lifeless. It was a big mystery as to how one of the biggest known personalities would disappear completely off the face of the sea floor. That is… until one night a week later.

Sandy Cheeks, the squirrel everyone knew lived in an air-dome, was having a good time with practicing karate. She grew tired after the hours spent practicing, so she decided to give in for the night. Of course, she had to eat supper first.

With loneliness accompanying Sandy, she walked into her treehouse. She took out the package of krabby patties from her refrigerator. Sandy was lucky to get her hands on a package of krabby patties because of SpongeBob not being a cook at the Krusty Krab when missing.

She heated up two patties over a stove and put the patties on a plate. Sitting down at her dining table, she started to eat the patties. Her hunger was too great to notice how tired the patties were making her feel. The sponge hiding behind her curtains thought this was funny.

Sandy started to notice the effects, however. She felt the weakness overtake her, and her body started feeling numb. She didn't feel pain, but she did feel numbness. Sandy tried to stand up and walk, but her legs seemed to be giving up on her. It was at this point that SpongeBob revealed himself to Sandy.

Sandy noticed SpongeBob, but her vision became so blurry that she could only tell the colors and big white smile of SpongeBob's teeth. She believed that she could try to beat SpongeBob down so she could have time to get out of her house. But like a clumsy toddler, Sandy was stumbling toward SpongeBob. Sandy then collapsed into SpongeBob's arms and lost feeling of her body. She was numb, but alive.

"Oh, Sandy," said SpongeBob in a toying matter. "Don't you know that it's rude to eat a meal without complimenting the chef?" SpongeBob laid her down on the dining room chair she was sitting at and took a seat across from her.

"Y'know, you really seemed a little fussy back there when you walked toward me. I bet you were about to hit me as well." SpongeBob's smile grew bigger, almost menacingly. "Why don't we take a walk outside? We should get some fresh air."

SpongeBob picked Sandy up like a person carrying a sack. Sandy was worried and scared at this point. SpongeBob never lashed out on her like this. She was afraid of what was about to come.

Sandy then figured out what he meant by "going outside." He was taking her out of her air-dome into the ocean. Sandy wanted to fight and scream against SpongeBob, but she couldn't move. Only soft breaths could come out of Sandy.

"Well, here we go." SpongeBob opened both the safety and outside doors completely.


	2. Chapter 2

A.N. I do not own Spongebob Squarepants.

* * *

It had been nearly a year since Sandy went missing. The townsfish discovered Sandy's glass dome was filled with water, destroying the tree and the house she built on top. There was no trace of Sandy anywhere, and people began to wonder whether or not she was still around. _'_ _Did she leave?'_ wondered the townsfish. Eventually, the search was given up and little to no mention of Sandy was ever brought up again.

The Krusty Krab nearly went out of business, had it not been for a fish named Harold taking the place of Spongebob. Harold was a blue middle-aged fish who liked to be as casual as possible. He learned the secret formula of the krabby patty behind the closed doors of Mr. Krabs's house, since Plankton was still seeking it out. That night, Harold learned and Mr. Krabs conversed.

"Pity that me boy won't return," said Mr. Krabs. It was clear that he became more depressed over time, his eyes droopy from sleepless nights. "He was a true miracle worker. Made me lots and lots of money." Mr. Krabs sighed and looked at the fireplace he set at his chimney.

Harold and Mr. Krabs sat in two big chairs feet away from the fireplace, the only light source in the house. Pearl was with a few friends of hers, so there was no noise made upstairs. Harold felt dread from the silence and darkness of the room, as if he sensed a present danger.

"Aye, well at least ya did the right thing and stepped up to do the job. I... trust you." Mr. Krabs looked away from the fireplace and into Harold's eyes. "There's somethin' abouts ya that makes me feel like the boy has returned."

Harold spoke. "I never really knew him. The only times I did see him were the times my parents took me to the Krusty Krab. He was friendly."

"The boy did have a golden heart in him."

"Yeah..." Harold couldn't think of what else to say.

"But I believe in ya. Spongebob left mighty big shoes to fill, but I believes ya can fill em."

"Thank you, sir."

They sat looking at the fire crackle and pop. In an otherwise silent room, the fire was calming.

"Y'know," Mr. Krabs said. "I think the boy has somethin' to do with Sandy."

"The squirrel?"

"Yes. They seemed to be close like patties on a bun." Mr. Krabs looked at Harold again. "Sandy was... lovely."

Harold looked at Mr. Krabs questioningly. "Lovely?"

Mr. Krabs shuffled a little in his seat, then said: "Well... nobody knew about it. But we were seein' each other."

Harold noticed that Mr. Krabs didn't seem comfortable on the subject, so he backed off on asking more about it. However, Mr. Krabs continued.

"She was a beauty. I know it's strange for a crab and a squirrel, y'know? Eh, but I haves a whale as a daughter, aye? But still, people will look at us with suspicion... I don't know what they wants from me. Stay with a crab?" Mr. Krabs became more settled. "Aye, love is a strange thing. Me lovers are all over the place in me life. I... don't know if they would care."

The fire stirred.

"Am I the first to be told this, Eugene?" asked Harold.

"Aye... that's why I trusts ya," replied Mr. Krabs.

The two went silent again, this time as a final conversing point. Harold said his goodbyes to Mr. Krabs as he departed from his house. The walk home was a long one, but Harold felt a bit happier. He had Mr. Krabs's trust and a guaranteed position at the Krusty Krab.

* * *

In the present day, Harold was starting to open up the store for the day. Mr. Krabs would be there soon. Squidward should've been there by then, but then again, Squidward was a heavy sleeper. Perhaps he was late.

Early in the morning hardly anyone would show up, so Harold could man the register and the oven easily. One after another, fish came and went. Finally, Mr. Krabs showed up.

"Ahoy, Harold! How's it goin' for ya?"

"Swell. However, Squidward hasn't shown up yet. Probably sleeping in, right?" Harold let out a slight chuckle, but quickly adopted the feeling of uneasiness when he saw Mr. Krabs's face drop.

In a matter of seconds, Harold watched as Mr. Krabs ran out the front door of the restaurant. Something was wrong. _Terribly_ wrong.

* * *

It was hours later. The word around town was that a certain Mr. Tentacles was missing now, his house in disrepair as if a struggle occurred. Paintings were torn apart, instruments (except for Squidward's clarinet, interestingly) were broken. The fish authorities had no idea who could've caused this until they saw words painted big on the walls of Squidward's bedroom.

 **LIKE SQUID  
LIKE SQUIRREL  
** **LIKE SPONGE**

Clearly, Spongebob was considered the main cause of the disappearances. And now, it seems like he's bringing it around town.

* * *

A.N. I apologize for those who have waited a long time for the next chapter. I was busy with school and forgot I wrote on here. I _should_ be coming back to posting more chapters quickly, but this isn't a promise. I will finish this story one way or another, and _that_ is a promise.


End file.
